In Asia-Pacific (APAC), the fraud landscape has evolved into a highly industrialized, AI-driven ecosystem. Criminal syndicates are operating as synchronized global networks that share sophisticated tactics with their global counterparts. Autonomous AI agents, deepfakes, and voice cloning are being used to execute large-scale, and orchestrated attacks with unprecedented efficiency. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia is emerging as a global epicenter for scam activity and human trafficking, fueled by the proliferation of scam centers in border regions of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.
This collection of whitepapers, reports, and interviews examines this rapidly evolving landscape in 2025 and 2026, addressing critical offensive and defensive technologies, regulatory challenges, and the necessity of cross-industry collaboration.
These resources aim to equip industry stakeholders with the essential intelligence needed to navigate the complex fraud risks defining APAC today.
From Entity to Activity-Based Regulation: What Payment Providers in Indonesia Need to Know – Sumsub
With a CAGR of 17.74% from 2026 to 2031, Indonesia’s growth is being driven by the rollout of Bank Indonesia’s real-time payment rail (BI-FAST), rising mobile wallet adoption, and QRIS, the national QR code standard that is simplifying merchant acceptance across the country.
Real-time payments, mobile wallets, and embedded finance are already reshaping how Indonesians send money, buy goods, and access services, but the compliance infrastructure supporting these systems has not kept pace. Many providers still rely on point-in-time checks, fragmented tools, and manual processes built for a slower environment.
This paper is a practical reference for anyone looking to understand Indonesia’s regulatory framework for payments, and why continuous, technology-enabled compliance is becoming necessary in this market.
APAC Fraud in 2026 – Report by Sumsub
Financial crime in the APAC region is no longer a collection of isolated incidents—it is an integrated, adaptive system where fabricated identities lead to fraudulent accounts and organized laundering.
Criminal operations now use new technology for persistent, faster, and harder-to-detect attacks. Attackers have moved from crude forgery to convincing fabrication, leveraging AI-made deepfakes and synthetic identities that bypass traditional checks. This highly connected attack chain spans from victim acquisition to cross-border money laundering.
This report unveils key statistics such as the 142% jump of synthetic identity fraud, rise of 388% in automated attacks, as well as other key developments observed in the APAC fraud and compliance scene. It is a must read for for banks, lenders, payment providers, and marketplaces, providing guidance on what leadership must prioritize to build their defenses.
Scammed and changed: How fraud is rewriting trust in APAC – by LSEG Risk Intelligence
Consumer fraud is reshaping trust across Asia Pacific. As scams become more sophisticated — and increasingly powered by AI — their impact is extending beyond financial loss to influence how people engage with digital services, payments and financial institutions.
LSEG Risk Intelligence’s 2026 consumer fraud report in APAC explores how people across China, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are experiencing fraud, and how those experiences are driving lasting behavioural change. Based on responses from 7,000 consumers across the region, the research provides a data driven view of exposure, loss, emotional impact and preparedness.
Download this report to understand how scams affect confidence, behaviour and decision making is critical for organisations seeking to protect customers and strengthen fraud prevention strategies across markets.
AI Reality Check: 2026 Fraud & AML Leaders Report – SEON
The AI Reality Check: 2026 Fraud & AML Leaders Report, released in February by fraud prevention and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance specialist SEON, looks at the state of AI adoption in fraud prevention and risk management.
Drawing from a survey of more than 1,000 industry leaders, the report highlights how AI has become baseline infrastructure for digital-first organizations, with a significant portion of professionals employing AI in transaction monitoring. It also delves into industry stakeholders’ views on AI effectiveness, and examines how fraud and AML budgets will evolve this year onwards.
Threat Intelligence Report 2026 – iProov
The Threat Intelligence Report 2026, released in April 2026 by biometric identity verification provider iProov, explores trends in the cyber threat landscape, highlighting three critical priorities: the globalization of crime, escalating attacks targeting iOS devices, and the expansion of deepfakes.
Organized crime is evolving into a synchronized global ecosystem, with Southeast Asian groups sharing sophisticated fraud techniques with their Latin American (LatAm) counterparts. Simultaneously, attacks targeting iOS devices are accelerating, fueled by advanced injection techniques. Meanwhile, rapid advancements of accessible AI tools is driving a proliferation of hyperrealistic deepfakes in corporate environments, posing significant challenges to current active liveness solutions.
This paper aims to equip professionals with knowledge on how traditional identity defenses are failing in light of these new and more advanced tactics, and what modern security architectures should look like amid an increasingly sophisticated risk landscape.
Banking After Hours: Do Digital Banks Tackle Fraud Differently? – Fintech Fireside Asia
In this episode of Banking After Hours, the Fintech News Network sits with Julius Rajeswaran, COO of Ryt Bank, a AI-powered digital bank in Malaysia, and Tai Vo, Director of Market Planning, Fraud and Identity, APAC at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, to discuss the fraud landscape in Southeast Asia, how innovative banks are reinventing fraud prevention, and the critical role of AI, behavioral data, and consortium-level intelligence in fighting emerging threats.
The discussion delves into the emergence of Southeast Asia as a global hub for scam syndicates, centers, and human trafficking, exploring how these criminals are recruiting victims to run schemes, along with the broader impact and consequences. Experts also discuss evolving fraud typologies, examining traditional account takeovers, modern impersonation scams, investment fraud, and AI-driven deepfakes.
To address these growing threats, the panelists stress that fraud prevention now requires a multi-layered approach, combining advanced technology with human empathy and industry-wide collaboration. They explore the case of Ryt Bank, which leverages dynamic behavioral biometrics, AI-driven deductive analysis, and omnichannel support to create personalized, frictionless security that balances robust protection with an enhanced customer experience.
Asia Pacific Risk in Focus 2026 – The Institute of Internal Auditors
Asia Pacific Risk in Focus 2026, released earlier this year by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), shares the most significant risks impacting organizations today in the region, the top priorities for internal audit effort, and key considerations for boards and audit committees.
Drawing on survey results, regional roundtables, and interviews with local experts, this year’s report highlights concerns over growing geopolitical uncertainty, and unrelenting threats from cybersecurity and new technology, fueled by AI.
It reveals distinct nuances across the region. East Asia prioritizes human capital and business resilience over market competition, and the Pacific region faces equal threats from business resilience and cybersecurity while grappling with digital disruption. South Asia exhibits the highest sensitivity to geopolitical uncertainty and technology risks, and Southeast Asia sees cybersecurity and business resilience as top risks.
The paper also offers tailored recommendations to navigate these complex landscape. These include engaging with governing bodies on agility, supply chain adoption and talent retention strategies, fostering third-party collaborations, and strategically supporting AI adoption.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by rawpixel.com via Freepik
